


New Shoes

by HappinessEscape (passicnfruit)



Series: A Number of Incredibly Un-Awe-Inspiring Logs of Kozume Kenma [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Self-Esteem, Slice of Life, Unrelated Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:31:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2298290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/passicnfruit/pseuds/HappinessEscape
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daichi sits next to Kenma on the train one day.</p><p>or</p><p>Daichi's an incredible captain, but he's also just a really good guy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Shoes

**Author's Note:**

> Today (edit: a few days ago, when I had first begun to write this piece) was terrible, for the most part, but it ended on a really great note. I felt like writing a happy fic, for once.
> 
> It's pretty plain.

The day is utterly unremarkable, and indistinguishable from the ones before.

Kenma doesn't want to go back to his house. There's nothing wrong with it, but he just doesn't want to be alone right now. He wants to be around people, but away from them all the same. He's confused, but he's accustomed to the feeling. He tilts his head down to glare at his tattered and grey shoelaces, runs small callused fingers through soft blonde locks, and covers his wet eyes.

He navigates his way to the train on instinct, waking up out of his trance when the doors slide closed behind him. There's a constant hum of the train in his ears, with the indistinguishable mumbling of passengers. Young girls gossiping, pointing at models in a flashy, decorated magazine; old men grumbling, frustrated with their jobs and complaining about their families; middle aged women twittering back and forth, speaking over each other's words, about the upcoming Kengo Kora film; young boys discussing video games and practice matches for unmentioned (but implied) sports; although he never looks anyone's face, he knows a few of them have glanced at him sometime during the ride. He zips up his jacket.

At the next stop, somewhere near a commercial manufacturing corporation, nowhere Kenma has any business at, he notices a body shift out of the seat next to him, and takes a deep breath, hoping no one takes the spot. He pulls his sleeves past his fingertips.

Somebody takes the spot.

Kenma does his best to avoid eye contact, and prays that this is a quiet passenger. Someone unobtrusive, someone not outgoing enough to chat up a stranger on the train, someone... someone who isn't anything like Shouyou. Kenma shivers.

He gets his wish. The person doesn't resemble Shouyou at all. Not a word is spoken. The train ride is peaceful, and Kenma plans to get off around the shopping district. He longs to be around people, people, people. The stranger breaks the silence a little after Kenma's sixth game of _Shot Zombie_. Kenma holds his breath.

"Kozume-kun, is it?"

The voice is low, but powerful. It's mildly distinct, handsome even. Mature and sincere, full of confidence and yet, perhaps elegant. Nothing at all like Kenma's own. Its owner knows his name, but he isn't yet familiar. Kenma's not willing to look up quite yet. His eyes are probably baggy with fatigue, red and puffy from tears. He'll have to listen to it a bit more. Kenma closes his eyes and focuses in on the stranger's voice.

"Mm." A noncommittal reply.

Kenma expects to hear the thousand-and-first  _'Are you okay?_ ' this month, so he's caught by surprise when the stranger speaks.

"Where are you going?"

Without thinking, Kenma turns his head slightly and glimpses into the stranger's eyes, recognizes his mistake, and immediately snaps his eyes back toward his phone.  _That's Shouyou's captain_ , Kenma mentally notes. That's right. That's who the voice belonged to. Kenma had seen him, had heard him before, during practice matches with Team Karasuno. It resounds boldly, without hesitation, and yet, Kenma doesn't back away; he's drawn toward it, he thinks. He's drawn toward this person. Kenma's entire body shivers once again, and the sparse hairs on his arms and the back of his neck rise. 

"Kozume-kun?"

 _Ah, that's right_. Kozume responds without much thought, perhaps something he's been doing too often as of late, "I don't know."  _I don't know_ _where I'm going. I don't know. I don't know_.

"Is that so?" Daichi's voice hasn't changed, despite likely having already seen Kenma's eyes. "I'm going to the shopping district. Gotta get new shoes."

Normally, Kenma wouldn't  _care_ where anyone else was going, wouldn't be interested _at all_ in what they were doing. But this time, Kenma would like to hear more.  _Can I come too?_ he wants to ask. He doesn't have the courage to. He fidgets in his seat.

And perhaps, all of these minute movements, these subtle quirks and unintentional idiosyncrasies, don't go as unnoticed as Kenma hopes they do. Perhaps this person, too, has virtually unmatched observational skills. Or maybe, just maybe, he doesn't notice them at all. Kenma doesn't know what he'd prefer.

"If you don't have anywhere else to go, do you want to come with me?"

 Kenma can't help but comply.

 

**Author's Note:**

> (I think there's a lot of (mostly unintentional) symbolism in this piece.)
> 
> I'm not sure about the title, hahahaa. Perhaps it's an overused symbol.
> 
> Based on my relationship with a student in my Chinese class.  
> I can't say that there are any romantic feelings (especially with him, who like Daichi, is just a naturally warm, comfortable, very kind person to everyone), but I am confident that I enjoy being in his presence. He's very good for me, I feel. It may be selfish, but I hope things are able to stay this way.


End file.
